Regenerative-heat-transmission apparatus



Feb. 11, 1930. F, LJUNGSTRQM 1,746,598

REGENERATIVE HEAT TRANSMISSION APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 19/6 ArraR Y Feb. 11, 1930. F. LJUNGSTROM REGENERATIVE HEAT TRANSMISSION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed NOV. 27, 1925 Jx/MM m; Arrow 8 Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDBIK LJUNGSTRfiM, F LIDINGO-BREVIK, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TO AKTIEBOLAGETI LJUNGSTROMS ANGTURBIN, 0F LIDINGO-BBEVIK, SWEDEN, A CORPORATION BEGENERATIVE-HEAT-TRANSIhIISSION APPARATUS I Application filed November 27, 1925, Serial No. 71,871, and in Sweden November-'28, 1924.

My invention relates to heat exchange apparatus and more particularly to heat exchange apparatus of the type wherein passages in a heat regenerative material are connected alternately with conduits for diflerent fluids one of which constitutes a heating fluid and the other a heat absorbing fluid.

Amongst the objects of my invention are to obtain a more efficient heat regeneration; to provide an arrangement wherein the area of flow through regenerative material for each fluid is substantially constant at all times; to provide a heat exchange apparatus wherein, while the area of flow, as above mentioned, is maintained constant, the ratio of one fluid to another is of given value for the purpose of accommodating fluids of diflerent nature and for facilitating construction and operation of the apparatus; and to provide novel and efficient separating or tightening means for preventing inter-mixture of the different fluids of heat exchange.

In its more specific nature my invention consists in arranging all the parts of the regenerative material to form end surfaces of even contour against which the edges of members forming conduits for different fluids at the ends of the regenerative material bear in all positions of relative movement of the regenerative material and the supply and disvcharge conduits, the edges of said members preferably consisting of separating strips which bear against a plurality of proximate units of the regenerative material for all positions of relative movement.

Some forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 shows by way of example a vertical axial section through a regenerative heat transmission apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. .2 is a cross section through said apparatus along the line II-II in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4- are modifications of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 and are, likewise, sections of the same kindas that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows a tightening means in detail, and

Fig. 6 is a modification of said tightening means.

According to Figs. 1 and 2, and regenerative heat transmission apparatus comprises a cylindrical rotor or frame 1 in which the regenerative material is disposed, and which is surrounded by a casing 2 comprising a lower section 30, an intermediate rotor section 32 and an upper section 33. The rotorframe 1 is supported on supporting rollers?) and guided by guide rollers 4. Arranged in the upper portion 33 of the casing 2 are two fans 5 and 6 mounted on a common shaft 7 which is driven, for instance, by means of power transmitted to a pulley 8 from which shaft the power istransmitted, for instance, by means of a belt 9, to .one of said supporting rollers designated by reference character 3*, in order to effect rotation of the frame.

The upper section 33 of the casing is di vided into two compartments 'by means of radiallyextending walls 10 and 11. These two compartments are of different size, one, the smaller, being designated by the arrow and reference character 12 led thereto, in Fig. 2 and the other, the larger, being designated by reference character 13 and a second arrow, in Fig. 2, Compartment 12 constitutes a conduit for one fluid, for instance air, and compartment 13 constitutes a conduit for the other fluid, for instance flue gases. The lower section 30 is divided in similar manner by two walls which are in line with the walls 10 and 11, of which one is shown in Fig. 1 and is designated by reference character 10.

In the embodiment shown, the rotatable frame 1 is divided by means of radial-partitions 14 into sector-shaped compartments in which the regenerative material is disposed. Said material consists of sheet metal plates extending in the direction of flow ofthefluids, and, preferably, of corrugated plates alternating with plane plates. Said plates have the same height as the cylindrical frame and the radial partitions 14. If the plates are nel to another. The partitions 10 and 11 extend substantially as far as to the end edges of said plates so as to slide substantially in contact with the latter. Usually, however, a little clearance is provided between the plates and the end edges of the partitions. It is suitable also to provide the end edges of the partitions with additional separating strips which will more particularly be escribed with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

The plates may be arranged in the rotatable frame so as to extend radially or substantially radially, as shown at 15 in Fig. 2, or they may be disposed so as to extend peripherally, as shown at 16 in the same 11 re.

llccording to Fig. 3, the wall between the inlet and outlet channels consists of a plane plate 17 so arranged that the portion of the regenerative material passed by the fluid giving off heat is, during the rotation of the frame, constant and greater than that portion of said material which is passed by the fluid absorbing heat.

In Fig. 4, another embodiment of the partition wall is shown, consisting in this case of a bent or cylindrical late 18. Preferably, this embodiment is used in cases where the cylindrical frame is secured to a central shaft instead of bein supported by rollers, as shown in Figs. 1 an 2.

As shown in Fi 5, which illustrates a detail of the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, the partition wall 10 is provided with two bent separating strips 20 and 21 secured to said wall 10 by means of bolts 22. These separating strips 20, 21 slide in contact with, or terminate close by the regenerative material 23, and will prevent any transfer of fluid from one channel of the regenerative material into another.

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the separating means illustrated in Fi 5, the separating strips 20 and 21 being bent in the same direction, namely in the direction of rotation of the regenerative material designated by the arrow 24. The separating means shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may, of course, be applied to other embodiments of a heat transmission apparatus according to the invention.

In addition to the above stated advantages gained according to the invention, the advantage is also gained that it will not be necessary to provide the rotatable frame with so great a number of radial partitions as has hitherto been necessary, in order to effect the requisite tightening, it being understood that the separating function is in part performed by the plates of the regenerative material. By this means the frame can be made lighter, and, furthermore, a eater volume'of regenerative material can inserted into the same than has hitherto been the case. The gheat advantage is also gained that by changing the position of the partition wall between the channels, the ratio of the sizes of those por- 'tions of the regenerative material, which are passed by the two fluids, may be varied. This is of great importance, for instance, in changing from one kind of fuel to another, as the ratio between the quantity of flue gases and that of the air necessary for the combustion varies according to the nature of the fuel. Moreover, as the major part of the regenerative material is always operative for the exchange of heat, the capacity of the apparatus is, of course, increased, that is to say, an apparatus according to the invention may, for instance, be used in combination with a steam boiler of a greater capacity than an apparatus of the same size of the construction hitherto known.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a cylindrical regenerative material composed of a multitude of metal elements arranged to form a multitude of separated passages between them of minute crosssectional area, said elements being arranged so that their ends determine planes and the passages extend between said planes, thin members forming conduits for different fluids at the ends of said regenerative material. means to effect relative rotative movement about the axis of the regenerative cylinder between said conduits and said regenerative material, said members being arranged to have edges substantially in the planes determined by the ends of said metal elements for all positions of relative movement, said members and their edges being thin to make a substantially 360 degree sector of the regenerative material available in all positions of relative rotation for free and unobstructed flow of heat exchange fluids.

2. A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a cylindrical regenerative material composed of a multitude of metal elements arranged to form a multiude of separated passages between them, thin members forming conduits for different fluids at the ends of said regenerative material, means to effect relative rotative movement about the axis of the regenerative cylinder between said conduits and said regenerative material, each of said members being arranged to continuously contact the ends of a plurality of said adjacent elements during all positions of relative movement and serving to prevent intermixture of fluids, said members being thin to make a substantially 360 degree sector of the regenerative materials available for free and unobstructed flow of heat exchange fluids.

3. A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a cylindrical regenerative material composed of a multitude of metal ele- 'ments arranged to form a multitude of separated passages between them, thin members forming conduits for different fluids at the ends of said regenerative material, means to efi'ect relative rotative movement about the axis of the regenerative material between said conduits and said regenerative material, said members comprising plates and pluralities of separatingstrips attached to edges of'said plates and forming edges for said members, said strips being arranged to continuously contact the ends of proximate metal elements during all positions of relative movement and serving to prevent inter-mixture of fluids said members and their strips being thinto make a substantially 360 degree sector of the regenerative material available for free and unobstructed flow of heat exchange fluids.

A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a cylindrical regenerative material composed of a multitude of metal elements arranged to form a multitude of separated passages between them, said elements being arranged so that their ends determine planes and the passages extend between said planes, thin members forming conduits for different fluids at the ends of said-regenerative material, means to effect relative rotative movement about the axis of the regenerative cylinder between said conduits and said regenerative material, said members including plates and pluralities of separating strips attached to edges of said plates and forming edges for said members, said strips being arranged to contact the ends of proximate metal elements in the plane's determined by the ends of said metal elements for all positions of relative movement, said members and their strips being thin to make a substantially 360 degree sector of the regenerative material available in all positions of relative rotation for free and unobstructed flow of heat exchange fluids.

5. A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a cylindrical rotor having uniform axial extension, regenerative material in said rotor composed of a multitude of metal elements arranged to form a multitude of separated passages between them, said elements extending the full axial length of the rotor and arranged so that their ends determine surfaces of revolution, means to rotate said rotor, thin members forming conduits tor difierent fluids at the ends ofsaid rotor, said members being arranged to have edges in the said surfaces of revolution for all posimultitude of separated passages between th m and so arranged that their ends determi e erative material available in all positions of rotation for free and unobstructed flow of heat exchange fluids.

7 A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a cylindrical rotor, regenerative material in said rotor composed of a multitude of metal elements arranged to form a multitude of separated passages between them, means to rotate said rotor, and members forming conduits for diiferent fluids at the ends of said rotor, each of said members being arranged to continuously contact the ends of a plurality of adjacent metal elements during all positions of rotation and serving to prevent inter-mixture of fluids, said members being thin to make a substantially 360 degrees sector of the regenerative material available in all positions of rotation 'for free and unobstructed flow of heat exchange fluids.

'8. A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a casing including a lower section, an intermediate rotor section and an upper section, a rotor in the intermediate section, regenerative material situated Within said rotor and comprising a multitude of metal elements arranged to form a multitude of separated passages between them, means to rotate the rotor, walls dividing said lower section and said upper section into separate compartments, said walls being arranged to continuously contact the ends of a plurality of proximate metal elements during all positions of rotation and serving to prevent intermixture of fluids, said walls being thin to make a substantially 360 degree sector of the regenerative material available in all positions of rotation for free and unobstructed flow of heat exchange fluids.

9. A regenerative heat exchange apparatus comprising a casing including a lower section, an intermediate rotor section and an upper section, a rotor in the intermediate section, regenerative material situated within said rotor and comprising a multitude of metal elements arranged to form a multitude of separated passages between them, means to rotate the rotor, walls dividin said lower section and said upper section into separate compartments of difierent size so that the ratio of that compartment through which the fluid giving off heat flows to that compartment containing the fluid absorbing heat is greater than 1/1, said walls being arranged to continuously contact the ends of a plurality of said metal elements during all positions of rotation and being extremely thin at the place of contact with said metal elements so that the ratio of that portion ofthe regenerative material which is contacted by the fluid giving off heat to that portion contacted by the fluid absorbing heat is always substantially constant.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FREDRIK LJ UN GSTRGM. 

